Restaurants seek workers in tight market

Chenise Berens carries a tray of food to a table as she works her shift Wednesday night at Mavericks Steak and Cocktails. With three new restaurants opening this fall, the competition for restaurant workers is intense. Cooks, wait staff and bartenders are in demand. American News Photo by John Davis

The competition for restaurant workers has been fierce in Aberdeen, with three new establishments scheduled to open within the next few weeks.

The three new places — Ruby Tuesday, Pounders and Flatlander Kitchen and Tap House — are hiring workers from an already tight labor market. "Help Wanted" and "Now Hiring" are common sights on restaurant marquees.

"It is definitely a concern from the employer's end of things," said Danelle Schlaht, operations manager for Pounders, and general manager of Mavericks Steak and Cocktails.

Pounders has hired much of its staff, but it still needs to hire more, she said. The establishment, which will specialize in craft beers as well as casual American cuisine, needs cooks, dishwashers, bartenders and servers.

"There are a lot of opportunities out there right now for people who want to work," Schlaht said.

Ruby Tuesday has had a strong hiring push the past month, which has been successful, said Nancy Johnson, general manager. The restaurant has hired 130 employees, most of whom are part time, she said. Ruby Tuesday is still hiring because there is always turnover in the restaurant business, she said.

Advertisement

The restaurant plans to open Oct. 2.

Ruby Tuesday has attracted employees because of its national reputation, said Gary Score, who oversees operations of six Ruby Tuesday restaurants, including the one in Aberdeen.

"I don't think it is just because we are new to town," he said. "Ruby Tuesday has been around for 30 years, and people know what kind of place it is."

Candy Brandt, who has worked in restaurants for more than 40 years, has been hired as a chef at Ruby Tuesday.

Although she is excited to start her new job, she said she understands why restaurant workers are in demand.

"There would not be a shortage if the wages were higher," she said. "I have worked in restaurants a lot of years. It is a hard job, and most restaurants don't offer any benefits. Those servers are on their feet all night, and people don't always tip well."

A cook doesn't make that much, maybe $8 or $9 an hour depending on the restaurant, she said.

"You can't live on it," Brandt said.

Hiring at the new restaurants has affected all food establishments.

A short drive along Sixth Avenue shows help wanted signs at Arby's, Pizza Ranch, Burger King and Jimmy Johns.

Perkins has hiring open houses every Tuesday from 2 to 6 p.m. Right now, it is a very competitive market for workers, said Samantha Diekman, manager.

"We always have staffing needs," she said. "We always need workers. The staff that we do have is really good about picking up extra shifts. We have been able to maintain quality customer service. You can just ask the regulars who live on this side of town who come in every day."

Minerva's has been advertising for cooks and banquet helpers.

"Workers are in demand with the labor pool being split up among so many places," said Aaron Grunewaldt, food and beverage manager at Minerva's. "It forces us to be more creative. We have been advertising at colleges, the job fair and have done in-house recruitment by offering incentives for referrals."

Grunewaldt said the competitive job market makes it even more important to treat employees well.

"We have to do a good job of taking care of the people we do have," he said.

Heidi Thompson, general manager at IHOP, said IHOP needs cooks and servers. The restaurant has a particular need for evening and overnight shifts. Because it is open 24 hours a day, its staffing needs are a little different from some other places, she said.

"We do the best we can," she said. "Everybody pitches in, and we do a good job."

She said she has noticed that the quality of applicants has become an issue. Training is more important than ever because restaurants are hiring workers that would not get hired if there were more people applying, she said.

Schlaht agrees that training and management of new employees is increasingly important. Once an employee is trained, it is important to retain them.

Pounders is owned by Craig Schlaht, who is also an owner of Mavericks. It would be tempting to take some of the Mavericks staff and have them work at Pounders, but Danelle Schlaht wants to avoid that.

"We need to keep our staff strong at Mavericks," she said. "We have established a reputation for good service, and we need to keep that. Our message to our Mavericks employees is that we need you here."

Ben Stotz, 19, is a server at Mavericks. He said that restaurant workers around town know they are in demand. While he could change jobs, he said he will stay at Mavericks.

"It is something I will do for awhile until I go to college and then move onto a new phase," he said. "Right now, I enjoy it and have the opportunity to make good money."

It depends on how many customers dine on a given night, but it is possible to make $150 in tips in one night, he said.

"If it is a slow night, you can still do pretty well, if you give good service," he said. "On a busy night, you can kick it into another gear and make quite a lot of money. My record is $163 for one night. For my age, that is good money."